Connecter



March 27, 1934. Q PARKER 1,952,141

CONNECTER Filed llay 28, 1930 h c/fgr 2 J2 .fs .fs 7o 7/ 72 73 A 44gwwnkoz Patented Mar. 27, l

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-lcs Delco-Remy qirporation, Anderson, Ind., acorporation of Delaware Applicants my 2s, 1930, serial No. 456,415

' 4 claims. (cl. 17e-269) 'I'his invention relates to electricalconnecter umts for theft protective and other devices of automotivevehicles, and it is one of the objects of this invention to provide anelectrical connecter that will operate to maintain an electricalconnection with an armored terminal of a piece of electrical apparatus.

It is a further object o f the invention `to provide a yielding contactmember of a terminal connecter whereby electrical connection will becompleted and maintained throughout all stages o( connecter engagement.

-A further object of this invention is to contact elements in connecterunits.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of thepresentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a view,

improve partly 1u plan anaparuyln 2'5 tion with a piece of electricalapparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section illus-. tratlngthe parts in position of rest or lion-con necting engagement, the viewbeing substantially that indicated by the line and arrows 2 2 of Fig. 3is an end elevation of the connecter unit embodying my inventionsubstantially as'indicated by the arrow 3 of Fig. 2. A

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 2. but illustratingthe parts in cooperative relation with respect to the electricalapparatus with which it is connected.

With particular reference to the drawing, 20 refers to a cup of a pieceof electrical apparatus,v

as a timer to which a control unit 50 has a self locking connection andelectrical engagement', as illustrated particularly in Figs. l Aand. 4.The electrical apparatus 20 may be any preferred element of structurehaving a terminal stud 21 enclosed in an armored sleeve 22, andinsulated from both the cup and sleeve by reason ofthe di' electricmembers 23 and 24. The terminal 21 is in ele'ctrical engagement with acircuit breaker lever 25 within the cup 20 through the agency of lockingand connecting means 28 and 27 tively.

The circuit breaker mechanism 25 is ofthe conventional form used inignition equipment, and includes a breaker plate 28 to the cup 20 at 29.A contact bracket 301s carried bythe improvement as applied to arselflocking connes-A plate and has a contact 31 for engagement with contact32 supported by circuit' breaker lever 25. The circuit breaker lever 25is in insulated relation with respect to the bracket 30th'rough theagency of a dielectric bushing33 about a pivot 60 34,-and .is inelectrical communication with the terminal stud 2l, through the agencyof the conductor 27 which operates also a circuit breaker spring urgingthe same into following engagement with a timer cam 35 at the axisof thetimer 65 cup 20. l i

The terminal stud 21 being insulated with respect to the housing 20thereby provides an exterior terminalof the'circuit breaker mechanism,and is adapted to make electrical and mechanlcal engagement with anarmored conducter or controller 50 hereinbefore referred to. For this fpurpose the stud 2l terminates in va conical contact head 4 0 with areduced neck 4l'. and is insulated relative to thefenclosingshell 22with 75 Vwhich it ls surrounded, ibyau insulated washer l '-42 asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. Also connected longitudinal section,illustrating the use of with the stud 21 is a terminal 43 attached to aA'lead 44301 a condenser 45 mechanically and' electrically connectedwith the housing 20 by a clip 80 4.6

-he connecter unit 5l) vhereinbefore referred to includes armored cable51 secured at one end -wltiun a protective shell 5 2 that has'mutmgengagement with the protective shell 22 earlier de- 85 scribed. Withinthe armored Acable 51 a flexible metallic loom 53 enclosing an insulatedconductor 54, and a stress wire 55 is secured so as to .provideadditional protection against unauthorized access to the enclosedconductor, and manipulation of the parts thereby protected. Within theprotective shell 52 and disposed against one end of the armor 51 is adielectric sleeve 56 that is of stepped bore, forming the axiallyaligned passages 57, 58 and 59. The enlarged portion 58 95 will bedesignated as a contact chamber.

The conductor 54 terminates. within the contact. chamber 58 in a baredend 60 to whlchis secured a contact cup 61 as by'soldering'at 62. Thecup 61 has its rim ilanedoutwardly to' provide 100 a ange 63 ofsubstantially the same diameter as the contact chamber v58, yetsufllciently smaller so as to allow'the'same to move freely axially ofthe central bore of the sleeve 56.- This construction provides anannular recess, so to speak. about the end of the conductor and contact'cup 61 within the chamber 58, and within thisannularrecessisdisposedacontacturgingspringi that is disposed againstthe bottom of the bore 58 and against the flange 63 of the cup. The ll0spring normally tends to urge the cup and its attached conductor 54along the axis of the sleeve 56 towaiz'd the enlarged opening 59 asillustrated in Fig. A

Within the largest of the bores of the sleeve 56, that is within thebore 59, there is dispom a spring locking device comprising the lockingwasher 70 and its backing washer 7l as clearly .illustrated in thedrawing. For retaining the locking device within the sleeve there isprovided a dielectric washer 'I2 disposed against the end of the sleeve56`within the end of the shell 52 and the washer 72 is retained thereinby a spanner nut 73 threaded within the end of the shell 52.

Fig. 2 illustrates the position of the parts before the coupling unit isattached to the electrical apparatus, and here it will be seen that thecontact cup 6l is urged to the right hand end of the chamber 58 by thespring 64, and that the locking device is in its original form. Heretoo, is illustrated in dotted lines the contact head 40 o! the terminalstud 41, presented ready for mating engagement with -the locking deviceand with the contact cup.

It is obvious that when`the coupling unit is presented within the shell22 andcausedto mate therewith so that the contact head 40 is received byand locked with the spring lock washer 70, that the union ot parts willbe 'that illustrated in Eig. 4, wherein the contact head 40 has passedthrough the locking device so that the locking tongues thereof will havesprung into engagement with the neck 4l, and so that the contact headleft hand end oi the contact chamber 58 as il- K lustrated. A securemechanical and electrical connection is thereby made between theelectrical device and the coupling unit, whereby the coupling unit isrestrained from withdrawal from the electrical apparatus by reason ofthe locking device engaging the neck 41 of the insulated terminal stud,and whereby the contact cup 6l, andV hence the insulated conductor 54,are maintained in electrical engagement with the contact head 40throughout all conditions `otf the locking engagement of the couplingunit with th`e electrical a movable cup-shaped contact connected to saidconductor wire therein: a lock washer having integral inwardly pointingresilient tongues and mounted within said socket; a terminal stud hav,-ing a groove with shoulders, and inserted through said washer andcontacting with said cup to torm electrical contact with said conductorwire, the resilient tongues ot said washer engaging the shoulders oi'the groove of said terminal stud to prevent withdrawal ot the stud fromthe socket.

2. A circuit connecter, comprising in combination; a terminal memberhaving a socket and supporting one end o! a conductor wire, said sockethaving-a yieldable contact connected to the conductor wire therein; awasher having integral resilient tongues and secured within the socket;and a terminal stud provided with a head portion to form shoulders whichwhen inserted through said washer contacts with the yieldable contact toform an electrical connection with the conductor wire, the tongues cithe washer engaging the shoulders provided-by the head to preventwithdrawal of the stud from the socket.

3. A circuit connecter, comprising in combination; a terminal memberhaving a socket and supporting one end of a conductor wire, said sockethavingfa movable cup-shaped member connected to said conductor wire anda coil spring surrounding said conductor wire therein, said springurging said cup-member in one direction; a lock washer having integralinwardly pointing lingers and secured within said socket to limit themovement o't said cup member within said socket; a terminal stud havinga groove with shoulders, and inserted through said washer and engagingsaid cup-member to form an electrical connection with said conductorwire, the coiled spring urging the cup against the stud and theresilient tongues oi said washer engaging the shoulders oi' the grooveof the stud to prevent withdrawal of said stud from the socket. 4. Acircuit connecter, comprising in combination; a supporting member havinga socket and supporting one end of a conductor wire, said socket havinga yieldable contact connected to the conductor wire therein; a washerhaving resilient ilngers mounted in said socket; a terminal stud adaptedto be connected with the conductor and having a tapered portion and anannular groove above the tapered portion, and inserted through saidwasher so that the tapered portion engages the yieldable contact toelectrically connect the stud with the wire. and the resilient fingersof the washers engagingr the shoulders of the groove of the stud toprevent the-removal of said stud from said socket. Y

LESLIE 0. PARKER.

